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Project Doing Good: The Podcast

Nancy has over 18 years of expertise providing access, improving the college experience, and supporting leadership among low-income, underrepresented and non-traditional students. As a 2014 National Hispanic Executive Leadership Fellow, Nancy completed an Executive Leadership Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She just released a new book entitled “Your 2018 Guide To College Transfer” complete with 90 School Profiles. If you are a student looking to enter higher education, this will give you all the information you need.

In this episode, host Dave Goldberg is joined by special guest Nancy Lee Sánchez, Executive Director of the Kaplan Educational Foundation and the author of "Your 2018 Guide to College Transfer". There are many myths surrounding college transfer. A lot of students aren't sure transferring could work for them, if they are desirable to schools, or if they can afford the cost. But with a greater understanding, college transfer can change lives and unlock opportunities. Join Dave and Nancy as they further explore the work of the Kaplan Educational Foundation, delve into the impact that college transfer can have on students, and discuss some of the obstacles facing low income or under-represented students who are trying to reach their educational goals.

A turning point for me was being selected as a Kaplan Educational Foundation scholar, joining their program for high-achieving community college students from disadvantaged backgrounds seeking to transfer to competitive four-year institutions. This amazing opportunity changed my life, not only in terms of my education, but also on a personal level. They helped me become a leader. Before, I would not have been able to share my story. I was too afraid to be rejected for my gender identity. Now, I know better. If an institution rejects me for who I am, then I don’t want to be part of that institution.

One of the most important trends in business today, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) encompasses everything from philanthropy to environmentalism to the promotion of workplace diversity. The goal of this innovative series of awards and conference events is to promote CSR and encourage businesses to do well by doing good.

“The mission of City & State CSR is to promote Corporate Social Responsibility by shining a light on the companies that have put the values of CSR into practice. At its core, CSR is about thought leadership. It’s about New York businesses doing their part to help the communities they serve.” – Tom Allon, President of City & State NY.

Community colleges frequently get a bad rap as feeder schools that offer watered-down curricula… and students who are less knowledgeable, less prepared, and less capable of earning a bachelor’s degree.

But the facts say otherwise.

In 2014, approximately 7.3 million undergraduate students (42 percent) were enrolled in community colleges in the US, the latest statistic offered by the Community College Research Center. At some schools, like Cleveland State University (OH), more transfer students graduated in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree than students who entered four-year institutions as freshmen. Read more...

The Kaplan Educational Foundation (KEF), which helps disadvantaged minority community college students complete their associate’s degrees and transfer to top U.S. colleges and universities, will present its 2017 College Partner Award to Brown University.

Christina Paxson, the 19th president of Brown University, and Maitrayee Bhattacharyya, Brown’s Senior Associate Dean of the College for Diversity and Inclusion, will accept the award at the Foundation’s annual gala on June 21 in New York City.

Colleges also charge fees low-income students can’t afford, and that have little to do with their educations, said Nancy Lee Sanchez, executive director of the Kaplan Educational Foundation, who coaches black, Hispanic, and first-generation students.

Sanchez said she encourages these students to apply to as many schools as possible because colleges can vary in how generous they are with school aid.

Arboleda is one of three BCC Broncos this year to receive a Kaplan Scholarship, which provides financial support and skills training to help community college students make the leap to a four-year school and a bachelor’s degree. “Before the Kaplan Scholarship, I would never have considered applying to all these top schools,” Arboleda says. “It opened my horizons and made me think ‘Hey, you can do it. It’s not a far off dream. It’s not for somebody else; it’s for you as well.’”

For most low-income students, the path to a college degree starts at the door of the local community college.
Dishearteningly, only 10 percent of these students successfully transfer to four-year colleges and earn
bachelor’s degrees. There is clearly an enormous amount of potential caught in the gap between community
colleges and four-year schools.
To bridge the gap that so many low-income community college students can’t cross on their own, educators
talk about creating a “culture of transfer.”

Although Delgado, who was born in the Dominican Republic, was an honors student, “I didn’t understand the options available to me. I planned on [attending] community college, because that’s what everyone else did.”

During her sophomore year at Borough of Manhattan Community College, Delgado, now 26, was identified as a candidate for the Kaplan Educational Foundation’s Leadership Program (kaplanedfoundation.org), which would prove to be life-changing.

“If you’re an adult learner or you’re in community college, there’s not a lot of charitable support and yet those students tend to be tremendously needy,” says foundation chairwoman Melissa Mack.

Designed for underserved community college students in New York, the comprehensive, first-of-its-kind program provides the scholars with money to cover tuition and living expenses, personalized tutoring, mentorship, and workshops on networking, transferring to four-year schools and getting the most financial aid, among other topics.

Humor is the balm for a traumatic family history with which Santiago continues to grapple. “I’ve used comedy, jokes, my whole life to deal with everything else,” he says, adding that he would like to write for “Saturday Night Live” some day.

“It’s healing, it’s therapy, it’s fun,” he adds. “If I can use my story to make people laugh, feel connected and less alone, I’ll feel like I did my job as a writer.” For now, the Kaplan Foundation is helping him reach for a life beyond his past, to plans that include transferring next fall to a four-year college for his B.A.

“What’s important about this program,” he says, “is the support that they give me, that someone really cares about my education as much as I do.

“That’s what I’ve been dying for, pleading for from my family.” His Kaplan advisors, he said, are “like family when you need them to be.”